Melanin Mood Room

6 Simple ways to get Motivated

Most people, including myself, have set resolutions and goals that they want to achieve in 2024. Did you? Was it weight loss, stop smoking, start saving money, etc?

Are you still on track with working on those goals OR are you already having trouble keeping up? Usually within the 1st month or 2, people have already slacked off and lost motivation. I have already notice that the influx of new people at the gym has already died down. I’m not going to lie, I’m staying consistent in the gym but as far as eating better….whew! Have you already lost that drive to do everything you wanted to accomplish this year?

COME ON PEOPLE!!! Don’t wait until next January to try again. It’s time to get back motivated. I want to help you get back on track for the next year with these 6 ways to get motivated.

Look the part

When you look and feel better about yourself, you tend to do better. Spruce up your wardrobe to look the part. Getting cute workout clothes puts you in a good mood to go and workout. Looking to get a new job? Update your interview outfits to look the part. When you are confident about how you look you will be that much more confident in the interview. Working on ideas or a new business plan? Get you a nice notebook or treat yourself with new office décor. Maybe even a new computer. The best way to start a business is to make it look like a business. 

Have small attainable goals

Most of the reasons that people give up on their goals is because they make their goals too big. When your goal is to lose 100 lbs this year and the first two weeks you’ve only lost 2, it can get very discouraging. Start with making small monthly goals and work your way towards an ultimate goal.

Also having a goal that is too broad can also be a problem. Maybe you want to “make money” or “lose weight”.  You may make $100 one month but now what.  Let say you’ve spent $500 to make that $100. So yes you achieved your goal but, you are now $400 in the negative. It’s better to make small specific goals to track your progess and to stay on track. And it’s ok to change your ultimate goal if you see that the one you made may be out of reach. But the important part is that you aren’t where you were last year and you are steadily working to a better you even if you don’t complete your ultimate goal.

Surround yourself with the right people

It’s hard to improve yourself when everyone around you aren’t trying to improve themselves. Everybody has been in the situation where you are on a diet and go out to eat with a group of people who aren’t the least bit interested in dieting. Until you have worked up enough will power for that not to affect you, it’s best to find a group of people who have the same mindset or at least someone who will encourage you to stick to your goals even when they are not.

Facebook groups have helped motivate me a lot in the past couple months. I’ve joined multiple Weight-loss groups and the pictures and stories help keep me on track. Whenever I want to eat something I’m not supposed to I just scroll through the group and it encourages me to stay on track.

Find something you love to do

If you hate getting on the treadmill then don’t make that your the only way to workout. Mix it up and find things outside your comfort zone to try out. You may be pleasantly surprised. See if your gym offers different classes. If you don’t want to spend money on a gym membership, try YouTube for tons of different workouts. I LOVE (and would definitely recommend) Zumba. Never in a million years would I think I would like dancing in a class with 20 other people with me being as awkward as I am. A friend invited me to come with her years ago and I haven’t stopped going since. I’m actually disappointed if I have to miss a class. Find something that has to same effect on you.

Keep a schedule

Have days set aside to work on your goals. Gym: Monday, Wednesday, & Friday. Work on new business ideas: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Cheat day: Saturday. If you keep up with you schedule long enough it will become routine and you will do it without thinking about it. You will also be able to plan ahead. If you know Wednesday is a workout day try to plan around it. Try not to say ” I’ll just make up for that day” because usually that doesn’t happen. But It is ok to give yourself some slack days. If you work on something too much it can get really dull really quick. Don’t burn yourself out of the things you love. 

Remember your “Why”

Remember why you decided to make this a goal in the first place. To be healthier for your family, to make more money to support yourself or your family, a dream you’ve wanted to fulfill, etc. No matter the reason, it’s important to keep that in mind especially when you are thinking about giving up.

I try to always keep my “Why” in the back of my mind. My “why” (as far as losing weight) is to take family pictures that I will actually be happy with. I hate taking pictures. But I want to be able to look at them and not see a roll or a double chin. I also need to keep up with my son. He is getting older and more active and I want to be able to do all the activities I can with him.

But your #1 motivation should be YOU. You deserve a better life and a life where you are happy with yourself and what you do. You should be your motivation.

This post was not just to help you, but to also help myself stay motivated. If you read my last post, you saw that one of my goals this year was to stay constant with my posts and to lose about 60 lbs. So to start off, I have 2 small goals. To lose 10 pounds by Valentine’s Day and to be out of the 200’s by my birthday (April 9). I’ve joined multiple Facebook Groups for inspiration and motivation & I have my calendar in at my fingertips with all my upcoming posts.

I hope we all can achieve our goals this year. Tell me in the comments where you are in your goals this year. Are you on track? Do you need a little encouragement? I am here to help. I have Pinterest Boards for Fitness, Healthy Meals, Self-Care, Job Advice, etc . I also have a Feeling Myself playlist you can listen to that will give you a boost of confidence for whatever goal you are trying to achieve. Check them out and hopefully they will put some fire under you and help motivate you to get and stay on track.